Tight Race For #1: Safe House $23.5M, The Vow $23.1M, Ghost Driver $22.3M, Journey 2 $19.5M, This Means War $17.8M

SATURDAY PM, 3RD UPDATE:In my opinion we would like the U.S. electoral college to find out who’s winning box office this Presidents Weekend.Rival art galleries say that Universal’s Safe House is edging The brand new the new sony Pictures/Screen Gems’ The Vow for that 3-dayweekend as well as the 4-day holiday. However The new the new sony Pictures keeps the Vow remains on top withprojected grosses of $24M for Involves an finish-Sitting-Sun and $27.7M forFri-Sitting-Sun-Mon. The brand new the new sony hasSafe House with $23.3M FSS and $27M for FSSM.Tough call but I believe that majority rules for the moment. Either in situation holdovers are beating all the new films. Here’sTopFive (according to 3-day weekend amounts): 1. Safe House (Universal) Week 3 [3,121 Theaters] Friday $6.5M, Saturday $9.6M 3-Day Weekend $23.5M (41%)), Est 4-Day Holiday $27.5M, Est Cume $81.9M 2. The Vow (Screen Gems/The brand new the new sony) Week 2 [2,958 Theaters] Friday $7.4M, Saturday $9.3M (-43%), 3-Day Weekend $23.1M, Est 4-Day Holiday $27M, Est Cume $89.2M 3. Ghost Driver: Spirit Of Vengeance 3d (The brand new the new sony) NEW [3,174 Theaters] Friday $7M, Saturday $9M 3-Day Weekend $22.3M, Est 4-day Holiday $26.5M 4. Journey 2 3d (Warner Bros) Week 2 [3,500 Theaters] Friday $4.4M, Saturday $8.3M 3-Day Weekend $19.5M (-28%), Est 4-Day Holiday $25M, Est Cume $58.1M 5. This Means War (Fox) NEW [3,189 Theaters] Tuesday Sneaks $1.6M, Friday $5.6M, Saturday $7.1M 3-Day Weekend $17.8M, Est 4-Day Holiday $20.8M, Est Cume $22.4M FRIDAY PM/SATURDAY AM, second UPDATE: Another nailbiter. All the art galleries say the new the new sony Pictures/Screen Gems’hefty holdoverThe Vow will finish off #1 for Friday with between $7.1M and $7.5M according to whose amounts prove correct. Furthermore, it will capture the extended holiday, which causes it to be the finest Screen Gems movie ever. (Dear Johnmade $80M).However The new the new sony, whichis searching inside a 1-2 finish Friday,is cautioning me the outlet gross due to its 3d comic adaptationGhost Driver: Spirit Of Vengeance “could go greater since the evening continues”. And so the order might change by 'life was imple'.(But not likely, roughly the comfort of Hollywood predictions. “Ghost Driver‘s opening will probably be half from the 2007 original,” an foe studio professional notifies me.Snarks another: “Oncethey started advertising it with Nic Cage, it went downhill.”) A couple of days ago, Universal’s action holdover Safe Home will probably fight Ghost Driver 2 for second place all holiday extended. Clearly this 4-day Presidents Weekend box office is starting out perfectly — maybe $180M, ongoing the ‘up’ streak. That’s +4% over a year ago butshort in the 2010 Prez Day record of$238M which incorporated Valentine’s Day. What's apparent already is always that thosestrong Valentine’s Day sneak previewsdidn’thelp Foxdebut This Means War Friday far better.Not remarkably, after times of soppy monitoring and moving off its VDay release date, it’ll fall by Saturday behind Warner Bros’ holdoverJourney 2: The Mysterious Island because of its large family matinee bump. Gotta say: when Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Sturdy combined can’topen a movie to $20Mover a 4-day holiday with Micrograms pointing, something is hinky. In my opinion everyone is fatigued with romantic comedy, even if that certain had plenty of action and anot-too-lame premise, andis choosingThe Vow‘s romantic drama for something different-up.Disney had suprisingly low anticipation due to its latest Studio Ghibli toon from Japan. But even ifThe Secret Arena Of Arrietty looks likethis extended weekend’s large flop, Fridaywill function as finest opening from the Ghibli film. Full analysis when thenumbers firm. Relaxation Of Top (order according to Friday’s grosses): 6. Chronicle (Fox) Week 3 [2,556 Theaters] Est Friday $2M,Est 4-Day Holiday $10M,Est Cume $53.5M 7. Lady In Black (CBS Films) Week 3 [2,559 Theaters] Est Friday $1.9M, Est 4-Day Holiday $8M, EstCume $46.6M 8. Alien 3d(Luscafilms/Fox) Week 2 [2,655 Theaters] Est Friday $1.9M (-78%), Est 4-Day Holiday $10M, Est Cume $35.9M 9. Secret Arena Of Arrietty (Studio Ghibli/Disney) NEW [1,522 Theaters] Est Friday $1.7M, Est 4-Day Holiday $8M 10. The Grey (Open Road) Week4 [2,107 Theaters] Est Friday $785K, Est 4-Day Holiday $3.7M, Est Cume $48.6 — 1 PM: Rentrak gets issues with hourly grosses which put a pause on analyzing matinee amounts. Nevertheless it lookslikethis 4-day Leader’s Holiday weekend will finish off strong.At this time around for today,The brand new the new sony Pictures’sequelGhostrider: Spirit Of Vengeanceis opening just pennies from Universal’s holdover Safe House and also the new the new sony Pictures The Vow (because order).Fox newcomer This Means War isahead of Warner Bros’ holdover Journey 2.Order by weekend’s finish may be same.